Job seekers face not only the challenge of sluggish hiring but potentially also a murky background that may not pass a social media background check. Several years ago we were debating privacy issues with respect to email and instant messaging on the job. Today, we are talking about the use of social media to screen potential employees. Whether accurate or inaccurate, a picture is painted of potential employees. If you are looking for a job and have a clean background, you still may have concerns. You may be concerned about the impact of potential untruths, private details that may be located on the internet, or comments posted to "friends" that may be taken out of context by a potential recruiter. Or if the so-called discovered information has been correctly attributed to you. How uncommon is it for someone to have the same name?

We are in the third quarter of the year. Are you reaching the goals you set? If you have not set them yet, now is a good time.

In the past several weeks clients have wanted to focus on goal setting. So whether I am brainstorming with them to come up with the goals or they come to me with goals already set and need a partner to hold them accountable to endure successfully reaching them, this is perfect time to get going and pursue them.

Setting goals will make you feel more focused, give you more clarity and can get you the results you desire. Make sure your actions are aligned with the goals you’re setting and take action steps to reach them. Take the time to internalize your achievement so that the goals set are not just about chase and conquer.

It’s that time of the year again where you, dear readers, can make your voices heard and help choose the absolute best the D.C. metro area has to offer. After an exhaustive elimination process, we have narrowed down the list to the below categories and selections so that you can help make our Best Of Issue the ultimate insider’s guide to the best of the best in this region. The deadline for voting is July 1st , so don’t wait and cast your vote for your favorite businesses and people in our area.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that traditional media struggles to find its place in the digital world. Electronic distribution gives people greater choice, and we consume from the publishers that give us the most value—however each one of us personally defines that value. Advertising revenues have followed eyeballs and, over time, newspapers have lost relevance. Now, The Washington Post has pulled a Darwin maneuver by launching a service called Trove.

While I applaud the move, I wonder if it’s going to net the results they seek. The Washington Post has teamed up with Facebook to aggregate and deliver personalized news based on a consumer’s likes and dislikes. That, in itself, makes me uncomfortable.